Monsters
by Dr. Cat
Summary: Just a vignette taking place after the episode The Steerminator.


**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Disney.**

**Monsters**

Launchpad had never met the guy in person but he didn't have to in order to recognize the true evil. It didn't take looking that fiend in the eye to know he was heartless. Anyone willing to kill innocent people for the sake of greed; anyone ready to drop a child from well over a hundred stories high to the street below for leverage; anyone set to give up their own life to ensure the death of a hero's was sick and it didn't take a genius to figure out how much more dangerous the villain bent on revenge was now. In a way, he considered himself lucky; they had to come face to face with that maniac several times. His friends', better said, his family's last encounter left them all with a morbid cliffhanger; a death threat looming over them from this madman.

With the cost of this high stakes game raised even higher, Launchpad knew they were more vulnerable than ever. For him, more than just the physical attack on his family was bothering, though it did contribute to his insomnia, but it was the emotional, psychological toll on DW and Gos that had him so upset. In fact, if there ever was a time he could say he hated someone . . . well it was safe to say he hated what that mechanical bull had done to them and he would never forget. He hated the fact he couldn't have helped more. He hated the fact it made the dynamic, larger than life Darkwing Duck and spirited, awe-inspiring Gosalyn Mallard seem so small, so frail. It wasn't fair.

Launchpad sat on the blue, overstuffed couch staring at the incandescent glow of the television set that sat in front of him. He absentmindedly watched the characters of his normally well enjoyed show, Pelican's Island. There was little enthusiasm about it now. Usually he wasn't this melancholy or brooding being he was a pretty easy going fellow but he usually wasn't home at night either. It was now natural for him to be up all night and customary to be out on patrol for criminal activity. It was even habitual, though not condoned by DW, for Gos to stay up late and/or accompany them to the tower on cases. He smiled a bit, thinking about the energetic child's rambunctious antics and her frazzled father's determined somewhat desperate attempts to keep control. The smile slowly faded.

For the moment, they were all safe; back at home on 537 Avian Way living life as normal or as normal as any family would if they had the secret identity of a city's nighttime vigilante to protect anyway. Drake had decided they stay home tonight claiming that it was a well deserved break after such an 'exhilarating escapade' as he put it. Being it was the weekend and Gosalyn didn't have school the next day the evening was full of pizza eating, video game playing, movie watching fun. In fact the remnants of that fun were still scattered around the living room in the form of empty pizza boxes, game controllers and video tapes. A night they could all laugh, smile and forget the sorrows of the past.

"Wow, we really did make a mess," Launchpad stated to no one in particular as he stood up from the couch. Drake had said they could clean it up later, another odd phenomenon though not entirely out of order considering DW's injuries, but Launchpad decided to go ahead and pick up; he couldn't sleep anyway. He glanced at the clock and noticed how late or maybe early it was becoming. True, the rest had gone to bed just two hours ago, but still five am was pushing it for him . . .

"Gosalyn!"

"Dad!"

Launchpad's heart nearly failed. He dropped the empty pizza boxes and made a beeline for the stairs. He took them two at a time before stopping at the top. He didn't know which room to run to first, but on a hunch he ran to Drake's door noticing that it was slightly ajar. Upon opening the door fully he wasn't surprised to see blankets and pillows littering the floor. His hunch had been correct. After all, Gosalyn's first nights in this house were spent sneaking into her father's room seeking comfort from their previous encounter with a criminal she came find out killed her grandfather. It had taken two months for her to forget the nightmares and anxious feelings of losing her new dad. It appeared those fears had returned.

"You guys okay?" Launchpad asked still trying to quiet down his own pounding heart. He looked up to the bed where the two were. They looked to be alright physically aside from Drake's heavy breathing and Gosalyn clinging to her frightened father for dear life. There was a brief moment where no one moved, unsure what to do or say, but finally Drake took in a shallow breath.

"Yeah. We're alright LP."

There was no assurance in his voice; none of the usual confidence or zeal, just the flat delivery an obligatory response to a hard question. Launchpad sighed as Gosalyn leaned further into her father's embrace. The nature of Drake's comment gave away the genuine dread and guilt he was experiencing. The dry tone usually accompanied a sense of great failure and normally preceded the thought of giving up Darkwing Duck. Gosalyn remained quiet.

Launchpad could see they weren't okay now and only time and love would heal the hidden wounds that were still raw, but when they looked up at him, Launchpad knew monsters were real and one of them was Taurus Bulba.

_"But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." Revelation 21:8_


End file.
